Etroubles is situated along the via Francigena, the famous pilgrim route that once connected the British Isles to Roma, across Europe and the Mont Joux pass (now Gran San Bernardo). The mediaeval village of Etroubles, situated centrally in the valley, has had, the function of small local capital since ancient times, a look-out and services centre.

Every year in August, Etroubles holds the “Veillà”, a suggestive representation.

For one night, its inhabitants re-evoke old,past customs: along the town's main street and its side streets, old agricultural professions are revived (from the processing of fontina cheese, the threshing of wheat, sheep-breeding and the processing of wool), to handicrafts (iron working, the sawyers, the making of local carnival costumes), to social life (washerwomen and laundry at the fountain, morra players, smugglers, chimney-sweeps, the teacher and the school-children).

Local specialities are proposed: mixed grills with vegetables, minestrone soup, raspberries with cream and carnival pastries, seuppa freida (hard, black, bread, soaked in wine), coffee and Valle d'Aosta wine. Plus: lots of traditional live music and a mask parade.